Doctor Abbott Read online

  “If you want me on the merchant caravan you will give me no more than three. I will not leave my wife in a village unprotected. Too many of your guards are still healing from the attack.” He sat waiting for his reply but it was clear he was agitated and ready to leave the discussion.

  “Very well, Mâvis, you know your limits better than I.” The king turned to Ben. “You must be ready for your journey in the morning, your wife will stay here for her…protection.”

  The thought of leaving Lúta to fend for herself was unsettling at best. Then for himself to be at the mercy of the giant white bastard across the table was unthinkable. “With all due respect, sir, I would rather make the trip with the island’s wolves escorting me.” He swallowed hard seeing all the eyes now on him.

  “Do you seriously refuse me?” Freyr put his fork down and glared at Ben.

  “No, I just think my chances of survival would increase dramatically with those odds, that is all.”

  The king scoffed, “Nonsense, Mâvis is the most powerful warrior I have and loyal to no end. There is not a warrior alive that could take him on.”

  “And he has tried to kill me three times already.”

  “I can finish if you like.” Mâvis sat back in his chair sucking on one of his fangs as he watched Ben drop his gaze again.

  Freyr snapped at the guard, “Is that really helping?” Then he turned back to Ben, “Now I do not know what you did to anger him, but if Mâvis wanted you dead there is no one alive that could save you, myself included. That being said here you are eating breakfast with him. You will accompany him and try not to test his patience with your reluctance.” Freyr shoved his plate off in frustration and left.

  Mâvis stood to leave as well, shooting Ben a sideways glance and a smug grin, “Pack lightly, human. You will not last the first day.”

  Chapter 12

  The next morning Lúta woke her husband early, then sat on the bed watching him get dressed. “I packed you some food.” She said, as he went through his medical supplies assessing what he had and thinking on what he needed. Lúta couldn’t help but worry about the danger he was facing on a trip like this. King William’s village was far and Ben had so much to learn still about the culture here. No matter how much he tried it was clear he was out of place. “Listen, the guards are fools, they may bait you to get a reaction. Do not take it no matter what, please.”

  “You have nothing to worry about there, my dear. I know what’s going on and will stay on my toes, I promise.”

  She arose from the bed and walked over to him causally. She ran both her hands up and down the fur lining of his new jacket, and looked nervously into his eyes, “There is something else, that village is notorious for lonely women. William’s village is a refuge for women escaping abusive mates or fathers. They get lonely and you may find their curiosity for humans interesting.”

  Ben reached up and brushed her face with his hand, the morning fire gave her delicate features a golden hue. Her big brown eyes teetered between skepticism and eagerness. He had no trouble easing her fears there. “Despite the fact that I was never asked to marry, I honestly have no regrets in whom I am married to. Women can be curious as much as they like, but they will quickly discover how boring I am when my only interest is in my wife. I suspect they will want someone who is in the least bit capable of performing for them.” Her relief was evident in the smile she rewarded him with. She reached for the hand he still had on her cheek. He shook it off and took her by the back of the neck to pull her in for a tender kiss. “I love you, Lúta.”

  He took the sack of goods she had packed for him and his new medical bag and headed out to meet up with the caravan. The caravan was something he had seen coming and going every other day or so up until the ambush. Then it seemed as all though commerce outside the kingdom had halted. Ben found it interesting that despite the conflict with each other the Joutone people found it necessary to trade and barter with their neighbors.

  In a desolate and unforgiving landscape this may be far more for survival than for profit. Although just like humans, the Joutone seemed to enjoy the elevated status that profit brought.

  The caravan consisted of a couple of dozen merchants. Some were warriors simply paid to transport goods, while others had their own wares to pedal. There were a few goats and sheep, some sort of ancient breeds Ben had not seen any place else in the world. The adult animals were tethered to their masters while two young lambs were bound to the travois style carts that were commonplace in their world. The carts were all piled high with goods. Furs from hunts. Pots and pans. Various scraps of litter that had washed ashore made up another cart. One peddler had a few sacks of grain that he needed to trade before it rotted and bags of dried fruits, some of which he was dispersing to the guards and a few young lads that were tagging along for the journey in hopes of bringing back something fun or unique for their mothers.

  Ben passed the merchant with the dried fruits and no sooner had he passed, an adolescent boy trailed after him. “Hey, healer!” The cub had tan fur with a splash of black on his nose. It radiated out looking like someone had hit him in the face with a black paint ball. Ben found the color pattern rather cute. The boy had a hand outstretched. “You are from the palace, are you not?”

  “I am.” Ben pulled off his glove to see what he was being offered. The boy hesitated because he was not fully prepared for the naked hand that appeared. His face lit up and his fangs revealed themselves in a smile as the boy dropped a fist full of the fruits in Ben’s hand.

  “You need your strength for the journey. If no other merchants will feed you come to my father. His name is Sorren and I am Vaughn. We like humans. We liked King Nathan. He was a good king.” The boy darted back to his father to begin the journey and Ben was left wondering who this Nathan might have been.

  Unlike humans, the warriors used no pack animals to haul goods. The animals in the caravan were for sale only. The Joutone were mighty creatures, built for this terrain. They pulled the straps of their travois across their chests and pulled their own wares through the snow with ease. The only warriors that seemed to need any help on the journey were two elders and they worked together pulling a single cart and keeping pace just as well as their younger counterparts.

  The first day of the trip was rather uneventful. Ben stayed close to the merchant that had offered him the food. He and his boy were both friendly and talkative. Ben learned a lot about this King Nathan everyone seemed to talk about. The human had a lengthy rule over a nearby island. From the merchant’s description, he was a big man. Well respected and trained in combat leading Ben to believe he had some sort of military background. All these villages seemed to prosper and flourish while he ruled that island.

  From what he understood that island had no hunting grounds. The villagers there relied on the sea and neighboring islands to provide their meat. The island was wealthy because it provided the precious metals the Joutone used for everything from weapons to cookware.

  Trading was what seemed to forge the bond between the kings from all of the villages. With the human king dead there was no more trust. While the Joutone seemed to be growing as a dawning culture, it was clear they recognized the animal instincts nature had bestowed on them. The competitive male gene that humans had spent tens of thousands of years wrestling into submission was still the dominant force in these creatures. The efforts they took in trying to civilize themselves were just that…efforts. The Joutone’s true nature threatened to bring down their fragile society on a daily basis and trust came at a steep price.

  As the journey took its toll the warriors made camp. Campfires sprung up quickly, to provide heat and warm their food

  Ben set up his bedroll close to one of the fires and relaxed with a bowl of the wolf-meat stew from the merchant. He was enjoying the dinner and light conversation when two of the four guards on the trip plod into camp. Pierce accepted a bowl offered to him by the merchant and leaned on a tree to paw through it and look for the meat. H
e could not help but notice Ben eating the stew. “What happened, human? Your wife forget to pack for you? This would not happen if she were wed to a Joutone.”

  Ben stared into his bowl, not bothering to eat while he was being taunted. He simply toyed with his food and hoped this would not escalate further. Sorren answered instead, “The merchants provide for the palace on these trips. They always have.”

  Pierce snapped back, “The slave is not your concern old man. He is under our watch.” Pierce took a quick spoonful of the stew and continued to taunt Ben. “You know, your wife was betrothed to a warrior from the village we are going to. I am sure he will make quick work of a nuisance like you.”

  It was difficult to keep the snark out of his reply. “Thank you for the warning. I will be sure to steer clear of him.”

  The human was agitated and it excited Pierce. Drawing a response from him could prove very rewarding after all that had happened with his demotion. “Bjorn fled to King William’s village. Do you plan on steering clear of him as well?

  “I would give anything to steer clear of you at the moment. Is there something you need from me or may I rest?” Ben’s eyes were now locked with Pierce’s. The predatory expression on the warrior’s face was incredibly unsettling. Ben gripped tightly the only weapon he had at his disposal. The spoon in his hand. Given no choice he would aim for an eye, but he knew very well he would never even get off a single blow. These men moved like animals. There would be no escaping this warrior.

  Mâvis finally made it into camp from the woods, carrying a huge battle-axe and wearing a longbow across his back. He noticed the guard crouching in front of the human, the two locked in a heated standoff. “Pearce, you will be first watch.” He ordered, then he walked over to the vendor that had prepared the stew taking a bowl keeping a watchful eye on both of them. Mâvis could not help but notice Ben’s shocked expression as he watched Pierce takeoff up a nearby tree.

  The sound of the warrior’s claws in the bark and the swiftness of his assent was not something the human had expected. Mâvis wondered exactly what the human’s plan was if he wasn’t there to intervene. The pitiful creature would most likely be dead already had he allowed that stand off to continue.

  Ben quickly finished his food and handed the bowl back to the merchant’s son. He scrambled into his bedroll and pulled out a book to read. He meant to open it and start reading when he realized that now Mâvis was the one staring at him. He simply fluffed up his back pack and then crammed it under his head to go to sleep. He pulled his blanket over his head and ignored the albino beast.

  Mâvis chuckled silently, perhaps he had not given this human enough credit. He was actually rather brave. Brave enough to die for a Joutone woman he didn’t even know he was married to. The puny thing also had honor. He put his life on the line to ensure Lúta was safe, and even managed to negotiate some fine attire for a girl who was little more than a peasant being wed to him. Then there was the glass Ben had thrown at his head. That was rather funny. No other human would have even dared something that brazen. Seeing how he had nearly killed the poor thing a few times already, perhaps the healer could get away with it…once.

  Ben noted it was nearly half an hour before the creature lost interest and stormed off without so much as a word. The next day the guards were scarce much like the day before. The trip was much harder today as a storm rolled in and snow made it both difficult to walk and difficult to see.

  With the Joutone able to keep a far better pace in these condition Ben found the journey grueling before midday he found Sorren pulled over with his son. His expression almost amusing. “Get on my cart. You are too slow for the caravan.”

  Ben chuckled, surely the beast could not be serious. If he were to be pulled a long with the cargo he would surely lose any respect he had from these creatures. “I don’t wish to be a burden. I will keep better pace.” He meant to push on ahead when Sorren darted in front of his path.

  Any trace of humor gone from his face as he leaned in to hush his voice best he could in between the moans of the winds. “You will not make it to King William’s. There is talk between the merchants of ending your journey just to pick up the pace. You get on the cart or I strap you to it just to save your human hide.”

  Not another word was said as Ben watch Sorren flip two gigantic grain sacks on their side to make a spot for him to sit. He took his spot and clutched his medical bag to his chest to keep balance. His humiliation furthered by the fact that there was a baby sheep strapped next to him. Every few second it let out a bey for its mother.

  This time it was late into the evening when the group finally came to rest and set up camp. Within minutes, a fire was blazing and the merchants were putting together a meal for the entire crew. The guards all came stomping in at the same time this evening and one of them was carrying a dead wolf. He tossed it at Ben’s feet, laughing. “That is Mâvis’s kill. He wants you to clean it.”

  The merchants all immediately dropped what they were doing and gathered around the carcass to admire the kill. One of them poked at Ben. “It is as big as you are, human.” Ben didn’t even reply he just stood dumbfounded looking over the dead canine. He knew the wolves were large here, but had no idea what they actually looked like. This mongrel surely outweighed him and may even be comparable to the massive men that roamed the island.

  Mâvis casually strolled over, threw a knife at Ben’s feet, and growled, “You still want them to escort you?” Ben only answered with a glare, prompting an impatient rumble out of Mâvis’s throat. “Gut it, human, or I will gut you…and be careful with it, my wife will like this one.”

  Ben snatched up the knife and a rope from his satchel and got to work. A little while later, he had the creature gutted, drained and hanging from a tree. Then he cleaned off the large hunting knife and slipped it into his own satchel before turning in for the night. Should no one notice at least he would have a weapon if he needed it.

  Come morning the wolf carcass was strapped to the travois Ben was forced to ride and Mâvis was gone. Even the lamb was spared the indignity of riding with the kill. The final leg of the journey brought them to the new village by midday. They were greeted by a small welcoming party and brought into the palace great hall for dinner and entertainment.

  The introduction to King William was brief due to the urgency of the situation. Ben noticed that this king was a lot younger and in far better shape than Freyr. His fur was black and he kept the hair on his head cut to the same length of his fur giving him a truly bear like appearance. Ben was brought directly into the king’s chambers to see his wife. “This is Olivia, she is carrying our cub and has been ill for some time now.”

  Ben sat down next to the woman in bed, her red hair and fur were darkened from the heavy amount of sweat she was seeping. He addressed her to assess how lucid she was, “Hello, Madam, I am Doctor Benjamin Abbott. Can you tell me what it is you’re feeling?”

  “You are human. Wow, I did not expect to see a human. It has been years since I have seen one alive.” Her breathing was labored and every few words she had to swallow and muscle up the strength to continue. She tried to sit up as her husband rounded the bed to help her. “I fell ill two weeks ago, I have been in bed with fever.” Her eyes watered and her chin trembled as she said, “My cub has not moved in days.”

  Ben’s heart sank with this information. “Do you mind if I take a listen, my dear?” her bemused expression prompted him to reword his request, “I’m sorry, I want to check if I can detect a heartbeat.” He pulled the blanket down and took a glass from his satchel, turning it upside down, he placed the open end to her belly and listened for vibration.

  A few moments later, he gave up on the glass and laid his ear directly on her belly. He sat up and hung his head not sure how to break the news, “I don’t hear a heartbeat.”

  Her face instantly washed into horror as she started to sob. King William stood up and started pacing the floor. “Well surely you must have heard her heart bea
ting, I mean she is alive, how would you know which one is hers and which one is the cub?”

  “Infant hearts beat faster when in the womb. I wish I could say the baby is alive but I am sure it’s not. Now the concern is that your wife won’t make it long unless I operate immediately.”

  “Operate?” King William looked baffled.

  I need to remove the baby or the cub, in order for your wife to live.”

  The king swallowed hard and searched Ben’s face for the meaning of what was to happen now, “You are going to cut her open?”

  “It is the only way, sir.” Ben looked back at her sweat-covered face and labored breathing, knowing time was of the essence here and fearing he would never get this king to consent to something so invasive.

  “No, I cannot let you torture my wife. How would that not kill her?

  Ben wiped sweat from his own face, feeling the tension now. “Honestly I can’t guarantee that she will make it either way judging by her condition, but I’m certain she’ll die if we don’t at least try. The choice is yours. I won’t pressure you.” He pushed past the king and proceeded down the hall to return to the merchant party.

  The king followed Ben into the great room as he passed right between Mâvis and Pierce. “Be honest, Freyr sent you to kill her, did he not? That wolf has never been trustworthy.”

  Ben turned on his heels and glared back at the king, “Freyr holds my own wife hostage so that I will help you and I have been a prisoner since I set foot on this island. I hold no allegiance to that man or any other for that matter. I came here to help your wife. I can’t force you to be smart enough to let that happen and I won’t ruin my diplomacy by trying to convince you otherwise. The fact of the matter is she is in a fragile state and had I gotten here sooner I may have been able to save both your wife and your baby. Now the only one with a shot at survival is her and it diminishes every moment you wait.” With that, Ben stormed out of the great room into the courtyard.